Chapter 269 How can a heartless person save all living beings?
Within the Lotus Pure Land—
A colossal golden lotus platform floated silently, its petals unfurling, radiating a gentle and solemn Buddhist light.
However, the person sitting on the lotus platform was experiencing a slight spasm due to extreme pain.
Lian Zhuo dug her fingers deep into the lotus platform, her knuckles turning white from the force, and a trickle of blood seeping out.
The blood gu was greedily absorbing his essence and Buddhist light.
Every heartbeat brings excruciating pain.
However, its most insidious aspect lies in its ability to infinitely amplify the darkness and desires within one's heart.
The girl's voice penetrated Lian Zhuo's ears in every way.
"Lotus wash, lotus wash."
"Lian Zhuo, why are you here all alone?"
"Lian Zhuo, look at me."
As long as he closed his eyes, Lian Zhuo could hear Hua Li's usual light laughter, which burned his reason like a branding iron.
Opening his eyes, the girl's appearance was equally clear.
She was so close, within reach.
Those eyes, always as bright as stars, gazed at him with a smile.
Lian Zhuo suddenly gripped the lotus platform tightly.
"Om... Mani... Padme Hum!!"
Before he could finish speaking the Buddhist words, the lotus pattern between his eyebrows had turned completely red, and his eyes were frantically switching between clarity and crimson.
"Bang!!"
Lian Zhuo slammed her head against the hard lotus platform beneath her!
The excruciating pain temporarily dispelled the illusions before his eyes, and blood flowed down his brow bone.
Lian Zhuo kept chanting the Shurangama Mantra.
He needs to suppress this blood curse as soon as possible, otherwise... Hua Li will definitely notice.
He absolutely must not let her hurt herself again.
No...
*
The golden rays of dusk bathed the ancient palaces and their eaves, casting silent silhouettes of the massive buildings.
The evening breeze rustled the copper bells hanging from the eaves, producing a soft, lingering "ding-a-ling" sound.
Soon, the silence was broken by a series of footsteps approaching from afar.
"Da da da da—"
Huali stopped in front of the tightly closed black wooden door. "Are you sure Lianzhuo is here?"
The cunning spy nodded, "Yes, I originally wanted to go in the day before yesterday, but I was bounced out by the barrier."
"Okay, this matter is resolved. You deserve credit."
"Bang bang bang, bang bang bang"
After the rosewood door was knocked twice, the hinges creaked open and opened a crack inward.
A five- or six-year-old novice monk poked his head out and said, "Amitabha."
Huali, catching her breath, asked, "Little Master, may I ask...?"
"Please come in, benefactor."
As soon as Huali finished speaking, the young novice nodded slightly and turned to the side.
"My grandmaster uncle is already waiting in the meditation room."
Is Lianzhuo that old? Already a grandmaster-grandmaster?
Ao Bai licked his chin. This Buddhist disciple has gone astray; now he's even playing hard to get.
Huali had no time to think it over. She thanked him and followed the young novice into the courtyard.
Despite knowing each other for so long, this was the first time Huali and Lianzhuo had ever been to a temple in this world. The Buddhas were compassionate, and the sandalwood incense was rich and pure.
Without the noise of tourists, there is a sense of solemn tranquility.
The young novice monk silently led Karin towards the meditation room. He gently pushed open the door, stepped aside to let Karin in, then clasped his hands in prayer before quietly leaving.
Huali curiously peeked out.
The room was simply furnished with a table, a futon, a lamp, an incense burner, and a traditional Chinese ink painting of a lotus platform.
But the person inside was not Lian Zhuo, but an old monk.
Huali was taken aback. "Hello, Abbot?"
"Amitabha." Liaowu did not get up, but slowly raised his eyelids. "This old monk is not the abbot of this temple, but only a temporary resident."
His gaze was calm. "Benefactor Huali, please sit down."
This was the first time Huali had ever met such a high-ranking monk. Just like seeing a teacher, she immediately sat up straight.
"Since Master knew I would come, you must also know why I have come." The girl's eyes were clear. "May I ask... where is the Buddhist disciple Lian Chen now?"
"The Buddha is still within the 'Lotus Pure Land.' However..." Liaowu paused, "The Blood Gu is ferocious and has come with great force this time. We do not yet know whether it can be suppressed."
Sure enough! Lian Zhuo really did secretly come here to suffer behind her back!
Huali was anxious. "Then please send me over as well, Master. To be honest, I may have a solution."
Since this person knew that Lian Zhuo was afflicted with the Blood Gu, they must be someone very close to her. Hua Li didn't waste any time and directly took out the Flood Dragon Pearl, saying, "Here it is."
Liao Wu's gaze fell on the dragon pearl, and a slight ripple passed through his usually calm eyes.
"So that's how it is. The one who tied the knot must untie it. It seems I was being too attached to appearances."
Liao Wudao chanted a Buddhist prayer, then hesitated slightly: "Using the dragon pearl as a catalyst for the blood poison might be feasible. However... that demonic dragon is cunning by nature, and the dragon pearl contains its power, which would amplify its desires during the process..."
"Is there danger?" Huali was startled. Luckily, she had taken it out and asked. That damn bird.
Liaowu paused for a moment, then said, "Yes and no... If the desire is fulfilled, the blood curse will disappear; if it fails midway, then..."
The unfinished words were chilling.
Huali originally thought that the antidote would simply be Lianzhuo absorbing the dragon pearl, but she didn't expect it to be so complicated...
Desire? That's what you want.
What does Lian Zhuo want? Where can I find it? There are no clues.
Ao Bai heard Hua Li's doubtful thoughts and tried to polish the rotten wood, saying, "Yes, it has something to do with you. Think about it carefully."
Karin: "What does this have to do with me?"
Liao Wu quietly looked at the little girl in front of him.
Her eyes shone with an astonishing light, filled with pure worry and a determination to save lives.
The more intense the passion, the harder it was for the Buddhist disciple to bear the feelings buried deep in his heart.
"Alas..." Liaowu sighed, put his hands together, and looked on with a sense of desolation as if he had seen through the ways of the world. "Benefactor, I have a question that I would like to ask you to answer."
Huali didn't have time to answer his questions; she was busy trying to find a solution.
But Liaowu just looked at her with such a kind and gentle expression... as if to say, "If you don't tell me, then I won't let you see the Buddha."
Huali: "...Master, please speak."
Liaowu nodded. He had observed the stars the night before and knew that the Buddhist disciple was about to face a calamity, so he traveled day and night just to help him overcome it.
However...upon seeing the Buddha's disciple for the first time, he realized that...the entanglement of love could never be severed.
He sighed softly, “On one side is an ancient temple with a thousand-year history, a quiet life with its lamps and scrolls, and a heart devoted to the path of Bodhi cultivation for nearly a thousand years; on the other side is entangled in love, consumed by the flames of karma, and unable to overcome the tribulations of worldly love. The two are like ice and charcoal in the same furnace. If you were in my shoes, what would you choose?”
Huali gasped.
Although time is tight, she still has to admit that the cultivation world is incredibly comprehensive.
This old abbot must be several thousand years old, yet he's still into pure love stories?
This isn't a cycad blooming; this is an old cycad blooming.
Ao Bai: "......" What exactly was it expecting just now?
Liao Wu noticed a change in Hua Li's gaze as she looked at him. Just as he was about to observe her more closely, the girl suddenly asked, "Why make a choice?"
Naturally, even someone as worldly-wise as Liaowu was slightly taken aback.
Hua Li blinked, "The Dao Heart and Romantic Bonds are not inherently antagonistic or life-or-death relationships."
“I think they are like light and shadow. The path of Buddhism is not one of detachment. Moreover, according to big data statistics, those who cultivate the path of detachment are the first to be moved by emotions, which is terrifying.”
"Moreover, even a master is human. If a person is without feelings, how can they save sentient beings?"
Liaowu tightened his grip on the prayer beads.
"Feeling sorry for the little flowers trampled by the roadside is emotion, and feeling happy when you meet someone you like is also emotion. Does this interfere with your cultivation?"
Huali looked at him encouragingly, "So Master, if it were me, I would not betray the Buddha nor you."
Whoever it is, go for it bravely!
Ao Bai: "...This world is too crazy, a mouse is a bridesmaid for a cat..."
This seemingly unorthodox statement completely stunned Liaowu.
The possibilities of "great love" and "personal affection," which he had never deeply considered before, gradually loosened the barriers in his heart...
This young girl truly possesses a heart as clear as crystal, capable of seeing the true nature of things and dispelling illusions.
Liao Wu's wrinkles smoothed out a bit. He put his hands together in prayer and uttered a Buddhist chant, "Amitabha."
“It is I who have been attached to appearances. What you hold in your hand is the poisonous dragon pearl that can cure the blood curse; what you think of in your heart is the supreme enlightenment that breaks through delusion.”
"If that's the case..."
Liao Wu pointed steadily at the hanging ink lotus platform painting, where a gentle and vast Buddhist light flowed. "Where the mind goes, the world of painting opens. Go."
Huali felt reassured after receiving permission to enter the territory.
She first looked down and took out her communication stone, skillfully finding Tang Wanwan, "Wanwan, I have something to do tonight, I won't be going back to sleep."
Tang Wanwan: "What?! With whom? Where? What are they doing?!"
Huali: "and lotus root."
Huali slowly typed: "We have something to discuss..."
Before he could finish typing, Tang Wanwan replied instantly: "Don't worry, leave it to me. Even if I'm scared to death by those people, I won't reveal a single thing!"
Tang Wanwan: "I've deleted the chat history, you don't need to reply!"
After finishing her report, Huali looked up abruptly. "Master, I have one more thing to say!"
The gesture that had guided her into the realm of enlightenment paused in mid-air, and he asked with some confusion, "Benefactor, is there anything else?"
Huali took a deep breath, her eyes filled with utmost piety, "May I borrow some Buddhist scriptures from you?"
Liao Wu was slightly taken aback, and a look of appreciation welled up in his eyes. With a touch of satisfaction, he waved his hand and said, "These are the Diamond Sutra, the Shurangama Mantra, and the Heart Sutra. If you have any questions in the future, please feel free to ask."
Huali agreed, this hand is in the bag!
Before she stepped into the painting, Ao Bai sincerely asked, "What do you need these Buddhist scriptures for?"
Huali glanced at him and said, "Steward Ao is going too far. Lianzhuo always gives you massages and lectures, and you don't even know what he likes?"
"By the way, Lian Zhuo's current situation is uncertain, so you stay outside and provide support. Don't worry, I'm not the same person I used to be; I can definitely handle it!"
Ao Bai looked into Hua Li's determined eyes, then at the scriptures in her hands...
Ao Bai: "..."
"Host... good luck."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
